Grant Writing Program

Program Goals

The BUILD (Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity) Initiative is being undertaken to strengthen student training and education to enhance preparation for doctoral studies and success in health-related research careers among underrepresented and underserved students. This initiative's essential components include developing a strategic plan to advance faculty and campus research competitiveness and capacity. BUILD faculty with external funding is a critical foundation for delivering excellent research training that prepares students to succeed in highly competitive doctoral programs and health-related research careers.

The Grant Writing Program, funded through BUILD, supports probationary tenure-track faculty (i.e., Assistant Professors) to develop a research grant proposal for submission to federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Naval Research (ONR) or National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  Specifically, faculty will be provided with $3,000 in additional salary during winter break to work on and submit an external grant proposal.

Program Features and Requirements

  • Probationary tenure-track faculty will be provided with $3,000 (2 payments of $1,500 each) in additional salary to work on and submit an external grant proposal to NIH, NSF, DoD, or ONR. Specifically, $1,500 will be provided during winter break and $1,500 when the grant proposal is submitted to the funding agency through the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) within 6 months of receiving the award.
  • Applicants must submit the external grant proposal to be considered for future BUILD funding opportunities.
  • The external grant proposal must have a minimum budget of $75k in direct cost per year and include a plan to involve undergraduate and graduate students in the proposed work.
  • A letter of support from the Department Chair supporting the submission of the external grant is required.
  • Proposals can be for a new grant submission or a resubmission.

Eligibility Requirements

  • This award is limited to probationary tenure-track faculty from the College of Engineering (COE), College of Health and Human Services (CHHS), College of Liberal Arts (CLA), or College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM). 
  • BUILD and non-BUILD probationary tenure-track faculty are eligible to apply, although the research must include health-related components.
  • Applicants must demonstrate a commitment and/or track record of mentoring undergraduate students.
  • Priority will be given to those principal investigators (PIs) who have not received BUILD funding for pilot projects and who have not submitted for the Grant Writing Program in the past.

Proposal Review

The applications will be evaluated by the BUILD Internal Project Review Sub-Committee that includes broad representation across health-related research disciplines.

Submission Method

Submit the completed application in Word format to BUILD.IDC@csulb.edu. Please submit a Biographical Sketch, a Confidential Personal Data Form, and a letter of support from the Department Chair.